Turner Challenges Philly Council: Ease Building Rules or Miss Housing Goals, Says HUD Chief

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner traveled to Philadelphia on Thursday and stated that the City Council needs to reduce bureaucratic hurdles hindering new construction efforts. This statement may bolster Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s recent appeal to legislators for greater authority over redevelopment initiatives. Her strategy to construct or maintain 30,000 residences. .

For Philadelphia and Mayor's initiative to create an additional 30,000 housing units, the city council and other local policymakers must decide to 'loosen up' the current regulations," stated Turner, who was recently appointed by President Donald Trump and approved by the Senate. "By freeing up private developers’ ingenuity and reducing red tape, we'll witness a rise in available housing.

In recent years, calls to relax zoning regulations and other limitations on residential construction have increased across political lines due to the nation’s struggle to bounce back from the housing shortage triggered by the 2008 economic downturn. However, these attempts at reform frequently encounter resistance from locally-elected leaders who heed their constituents' worries regarding the effects of new developments. These concerns include potential shortages of parking spaces and declines in property values due to the addition of new apartment complexes or social housing projects.

Mayor Parker is seeking for the City Council members to cede some of their authority over land matters. However, they are not particularly fond of this proposition.

This is particularly clear in Philadelphia, where legislators follow an unspoken guideline referred to as councilmanic prerogative Through this system, individual district council members hold significant unilateral power over numerous land-use decisions within their jurisdictions. Critics argue that this practice has resulted in a complex maze of conflicting zoning regulations and hinders development since construction projects frequently require political approval to proceed.

Parker, who previously served as a district councilmember, stated during an eminent speech at the Council on Monday that she doesn’t aim to abolish privileges with her housing proposal—but she’s requesting legislators’ assistance simplify transactions that frequently get delayed By the custom of the City Hall, she suggested collaborating with councilmembers to create inventories of municipally owned properties within their respective districts. These would then be pre-approved for potential sales and redevelopment projects.

The concept faced immediate opposition.

I suppose if you're the mayor, it might be a sensible notion," Councilmember Mike Driscoll stated. "However, if you're a district councilman, my stance would be negative.

For Turner, it's clear that local legislators must reduce regulations.

There is a significant issue with housing affordability in our nation. Currently, we require around seven million homes overall, whether they're single-family houses, multi-family units like duplexes, or even manufactured homes," stated Turner, who previously played professional football for the NFL and served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. "I urge every locality, including mayors and city council members along with anyone else holding decision-making authority, to thoroughly assess their regulatory landscape and determine if these regulations hinder or support efforts to construct more affordable housing.

When asked about Turner's remarks, Council President Kenyatta Johnson supported the legislators' role in making decisions related to development projects.

We aim to collaborate with the administration," Johnson stated to journalists on Thursday, "however, members retain the authority to ensure that the initiatives are inclusive. Above all, it’s crucial that the individuals living in the neighborhood have a voice regarding the development projects occurring within their community.

A representative from Parker chose not to comment.

Concerns over potential reductions in federal financing

On Thursday morning, Turner had a meeting with representatives from the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which operates independently but receives 93% of its funds from the federal government. He was later set to meet with Parker and visit the Riverview Wellness Village, a recently inaugurated center in Holmesburg. is a crucial element of the mayor’s initiatives to eliminate open-air drug markets in Kensington and other neighborhoods. .

Turner mostly avoided addressing queries regarding potential impacts of the extensive budget reductions implemented by the Trump administration on PHA or Parker's housing initiative, which remains predominantly unaffected. funded with $800 million from city bonds and also incorporates some federal financing .

“He mentioned that this is a query he has gotten frequently,” noting that HUD was cutting costs but refused to provide more details.

Mayor Cherelle Parker presents her housing initiative as Trump slashes federal funds and city council members express doubt.

We grasp our mission clearly, and our essential tasks continue unabated," he stated. "Additionally, we are assessing HUD’s resources to ensure that each dollar spent by the Department of Housing and Urban Development is carefully and thoroughly accounted for since we recognize this comes from taxpayers’ pockets. We realize that diligent taxpayers expect us to manage their funds responsibly.

Since Trump assumed presidency in January, HUD has apparently shifted to cut its budget , target unauthorized Immigrants residing in government-subsidized housing , according to critics, may also loosen regulations meant to prevent housing discrimination . In addition to federal housing support, HUD administers several major federal funding sources that cities rely on, including Community Development Block Grants.

In a presentation to Turner and his aides, PHA president and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah sought to highlight how grants authorized under the tenure of Ben Carson, the HUD secretary in Trump’s first term, were key to PHA’s signature modern public housing development in the Sharswood neighborhood of North Philadelphia.

The Trump administration's belief in the Sharswood transformation plan, despite locals not having much faith in it, was remarkable," Jeremiah stated. "The funds we've obtained will be utilized effectively, as you shall witness.

Jeremiah guided Turner through a tour of the Grocery Outlet store, which is included in the Sharswood project, as well as a PHA housing unit.

"Sharswood demonstrates how federal and local collaborators can join forces to restore greatness to American cities," Jeremiah stated.

Staff writer Jake Blumgart provided additional content for this piece.

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